Admission Requirements/A Complete Application

Admissions Deadline: March 14, 2018

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission as a Candidate a student must have an honours degree (four year) from a recognized university, with an A or B+ standing or with equivalent qualifications. In consideration of acceptable qualifications, evidence of satisfactory studies and/or other relevant experience, portfolios of work, letters of recommendation, and results of tests are taken into account. Visit the Admissions website for further details on the general admissions requirements for this program.

Graduate students in Interdisciplinary Studies work closely with three scholars from three different disciplines related to your research topic and join a small group of high-achieving students with a wide range of scholarly interests and perspectives.

You'll have the option to propose an area of inquiry/research project and choose scholarly lenses from an intriguing range of interdisciplinary disciplines, creating combinations that embrace the fine arts, sciences, health, social sciences, Engineering, humanities, law and more!

Streams and Specializations - Examples of Disciplines to Combine

Note: These are just examples – there are an inordinate number of possible disciplinary combinations. Please see the Director for direction as to what disciplines might best converge around your proposed area of inquiry)

Anthropology

Animal Studies/Behaviour

Art/Art History

Business

Criminology

Communication and Culture

Critical Disability Studies

Development Studies

Education

Environmental studies

Education

Film studies

Fine Arts

Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies

Geography

Health/Health and Society

Human Rights and Equity

Indigenous Studies

History

Marketing

Mathematics

Physics

Psychology

Public Policy

Philosophy

Political Science

Theatre

Law/Socio Legal Studies

Linguistics

Literature

Neuroscience

Refugee Studies

Refugee studies

Religious studies

Social and Political Thought

Social Work

Sociology

Social Science

A Complete Application

CV

SUPPLEMENTAL Application Form

Official Transcripts

Three References

Statement of Interest/Proposal

Three Confirmed Supervisors

Writing Sample

Portfolio (possibly for non standard applicants)

Suggested Structure for Statement of Interest/ Proposal

Most Directors of IS have historically advised prospective applicants to write a 4-part proposal that begins with a Title that indicates your area of study and the approach. It's good if your title reflects your engaged thought regarding your complex area of study and also reflects your intended Interdisciplinarity. The proposal is about 5 pages.

Part A

250 words

An Introduction which elaborates on your title, introduces the three disciplines, introduces your intended area of scholarly inquiry and also introduces you and your background

Part B

400-500 words

This is most often a Lit Review (some call it Methods and Theory)

For each of the three fields you would discuss:

One or Two major works in that area that are considered seminal works. (eg. Foucoult and Mad Studies)

Identify and discuss some of the most recent work done over the past 2-3 years.

Do this for each of the three chosen/identified disciplines that will frame your proposed project

This amounts to a scholarly discussion similar to a 4th year seminar course’s key assignment

Part C

400-500 words

Start to provide details regarding your proposed research project

Indicating how it draws on the above scholarship as well as how it will add to the scholarship – in other words the uniqueness of your work.

If you are doing any research with human ‘subjects’ you must also indicate that you are aware of ethical travels.

If you anticipate travelling for your project, indicate how you intend to finance this travel.

Articulate how you will do the research. Some students start with a set of their own notes where they answer Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. This serves as a template for this section and helps to keep it concise.

Now when you then seek out your three supervisors, it is Parts A, B, and C that
you would send to them for their perusal and consideration. You will possibly
receive feedback about the scope of your intended project, so would then
revise A, B, and C before moving on to write the last two parts.

Part D

200-250 Words

This is where you will list the three confirmed supervisors and indicate their discipline and their relevant work and how they/it will contribute to your project.